Why Hermione Doesn't Like Ron
by Justabibliophile
Summary: After enduring endless teasing from Parvati and Padma, Hermione decides to set the record straight for why she doesn't like Ron Weasley. She fails miserably.


Hermione hated red hair.

It seemed like such a trivial thing, but she just did. Hermione had never hated red hair before-hair color hadn't seemed like a very important thing-but now she felt the sickening urge to set something on fire everytime she saw that familiar ginger bobbing through the crowd while an eel clung to his arm. Oh, eel? Lavender Brown. Hermione meant to say Lavender Brown. Definitely.

The worst part was that she was a 6th year, she had her end of the year exams to worry about. (It was never too early to start preparing, after all.) Yet every time he even entered her mind, she would feel her nails digging into the pages of her book and any words she read would fly out the door.

It was infuriating.

She had spent her day flapping the book over and over again-much to said book's dismay-when she heard their shrill voices piercing her ears.

 _There goes any will I have to study._

Hermione groaned and looked up as fellow Gryffindor Parvati and her sister Padma scuffled into the library in a flight of giggles that made Hermione regret looking away from her book.

"Did you _see_ Lavender?" Parvati asked. Hermione's ears seemed to be yelling at her, and she focused on the text of the book.

"They were walking down the hall and…!"

Hermione gripped the book tighter and forced herself to become immersed in the instructions of the Draught of Living Death. The book, however, didn't seem to agree with her.

"I know, I was there! They're practically draped over each other, aren't they? Ron and Lavender, who would expect-"

Hermione sighed and let the book close. The words simply flew over her head, there was no point. Gripping the cover, she turned to find a quieter place to work, when-

"So you _do_ fancy Ron!"

Hermione stopped. She whirled around and found herself face to face with Parvati and Padma, who were watching her with grinning faces.

"Finally!"

"Six years and it's actually-"

"-happening!"

When Fred and George finished each other's sentences, it was endearing. When Parvati and Padma did, Hermione wondered if the wall would be okay with her running into it.

"I know everyone's focused on their studies and you have a shortage of gossip," Hermione said. "But that doesn't mean _I_ need to be bothered with it."

Parvati and Padma weren't phased.

"I've roomed with her for ages!" Parvati squealed. "You can see it in her eyes!"

"Not sure why though, Ron was such a _terrible_ date-"

"Oh, leave him alone!" Hermione snapped. Wait, why did she care?

"Sorry, we know you love Ron-"

"I _don't._ "

"There is no reason for you two to _not_ be together!"

"Oh I'll give you _reasons!_ " Hermione had spent nearly her whole education proving people wrong: in the classroom, in the halls, even the teachers needed to be corrected sometimes. She was not going to back away from a challenge. "We argue _all the time_ for starters-"

"You bicker, actually," Padma pointed out. "The whole school hears it."

" _Exactly._ We-"

"Argue over the most _trivial_ things," Parvati pointed out. "Like that famous argument in third year about your schedule. Which only happened because Ron was worried about you. I never did find out how that schedule got resolved, you dropped some classes, didn't you?"

Not wanting to bring up the Time Turner, a flabbergasted Hermione continued, "Well he doesn't _care_ about me-" She knew she was lying through her teeth, but it seemed like the most obvious reason for a relationship to crumble.

"Doesn't _care_ about you," Parvati repeated dryly. "Everyone could see how horrified Ron was in second year when you were petrified."

A vivid flashback zipped through Hermione's mind, of her seeing Ron and Harry again after being petrified, of seeing Ron who wasn't even smiling, he looked far too awed to see her there, as if he couldn't believe she existed. The look had made her feel quite warm- _no._

"Not to mention, again, the schedule incident. He didn't want you destroying yourself."

"I remember when Snape was teaching Defense," Parvati mused. "Ron got detention for defending you. And in second year, he ended up jinxing himself because he was trying to stand up for you when Malfoy called you _that word._ "

Hermione hadn't known what the word meant, but she had been so worried...Ron, had done all that for _her-_ No, no, it's not true.

"If-if he cares for me, he wouldn't make me cry! But in fourth year-"

"Ah yes, the Yule Ball." Padma shuddered. "I must admit, I wasn't happy at the time, but now I see he was just jealous-"

"Even if he was jealous-which he wasn't-" Hermione sputtered. "That's no excuse to act that way."

"That's how you act when you see Lavender and him! You even dated _McLaggen_ of all people to make him even more jealous! Yet you blame _him?_ "

Hermione was miffed, and she had the terrible feeling that her ears were turning red. It didn't matter though, Ron was _adorable_ when he- _no._

"Well-even if-he doesn't respect me!"

Parvati looked bored with the conversation. "Really. _Really._ He always calls you the brightest witch here, he seems so fond of you." The idea of Ron saying those things about her made her stomach churn-stop, stop, _stop._

"Even when he _does_ underestimate you," Padma interrupted. "I would've thought Hermione Granger, the best student of our year, would enjoy a challenge, not someone who bows to her every whim."

A very rare thing happened, which was that Hermione Granger was not enjoying this challenge. Hermione Granger was furious. She didn't know why she was furious-no, she wasn't even furious. There was certainly a feeling there, but she labeled it "furious," out of pure desperation.

"Well, he brings out the worst in me-" _Was was she saying?_

Parvati sighed again. "Does he? No offense Hermione, but we all kind of thought you were a bit arrogant until we really got to know you in D.A. You're wonderful, but you seemed very bossy. If Ron brings out the worst in you, how come he's the only one who can get you to stop bossing people around and listen to them instead?"

Hermione paused. Ron _did_ do that, but that doesn't mean she _needed_ him-no, no, that's mad.

"Enough, both of you back to work!" Hermione snapped. "I _don't_ like Ron, okay? I bet if all of us were created, that creator wouldn't want the two of us to be together!"

"Seems a little too late to say that," Padma pointed out.

"Oh be _quiet._ I don't like Ron!" Hermione scooped up her textbook. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to work, because no prince is going to fly from the sky and give me a book with all the answers!"

"Wow, you really like-"

"I'll start liking Ron the day he decides to rescue house elves!" Hermione Granger stomped off, feeling angry at her lack of debating skills. She was sure she had honed them with- _No._

"And I don't like Ron!" she called.

"...She likes Ron, doesn't she?"

"No kidding."

And the Patil twins left the library, giggling with gossip, while Hermione Granger mused on two things: The third ingredient of the Draught of Living Death, and the fact that she really hated red hair.


End file.
